Talking to the Pope

THIS MONTH Pope John Paul II will be declared a saint on Divine Mercy Sunday, and I would like to take the opportunity to share the memory of my first meeting with this extraordinary pontiff with you and what he did for me.

In 1983 my father was struggling with serious health problems. Besides suffering from Parkinson’s disease and the associated symptoms of shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and speech difficulties, that Spring he was also diagnosed with intestinal cancer.

My brothers and I were naturally quite worried, not only for dad, but also for our elderly mother who was shouldering most of the burden of assisting him. Giulio, my older brother, was married with two small children, and both he and his wife were very busy, while my younger brother Roberto was living quite far away in another city. As for myself, being a Franciscan friar, I was often away from Padua serving God’s people.



Therefore, I was quite reluctant to attend the General Chapter of my Order in Assisi as an interpreter from English to Italian when I was asked to do so by my Provincial. It would have meant not seeing my father for almost a month. My superiors, aware of my personal problems at home, actually asked other friars to go in my place, but in the end they came back to me because they couldn’t find any suitable alternatives. So eventually I had to go.

In Assisi events unfolded really fast, and I had to shuffle between the General Assembly meetings, elections, and briefings for the various linguistic groups. The friars who were interpreters had no time to relax, but we were full of enthusiasm anyway, and we felt really privileged to be enveloped by the great spiritual energy of the General Chapter.

When the Chapter was almost over, we were unexpectedly told that the Holy Father was going to receive us all at a special audience in Rome. Some coaches were therefore hired, and a couple of days later we were all hoisted away to the Eternal City.

As we entered the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, I felt as though I were living in a dream. At 11:30 sharp the Holy Father entered the Hall. I remember that he was smiling and did not seem at all tired despite having suffered a nearly fatal attack on his life only two years previously.



After the Pope had given a brief speech, we were told that each one of the friars would receive his personal blessing; however, as there were so many of us, we were politely asked not to delay the process by engaging His Holiness in conversation.

We were all standing in line and, as my turn to kneel before His Holiness drew near, I felt a pressing need to ask him to say a prayer for my poor dad. I was, however, afraid of contradicting my superiors: what would the Minister General who was standing next to the Pope think of me if he saw that I had the cheek to engage the Holy Father in conversation?

When my turn came, however, all my fears simply melted away and, as the Holy Father handed me a rosary, I plucked up the courage to make my request. John Paul smiled fondly at me and said, “Brother, let us pray together.” In that moment I truly understood Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them,” and I realised that I didn’t have to worry because somehow God was taking care of my dad.



And so it was! My dad was given a new lease of life, and he died peacefully three years later.

Therefore, dear readers, during this special Easter season, bearing in mind Saint John Paul’s words, let us pray together for an end to our personal worries, for all those who are sick and suffering, for the dying and already departed. Let us pray also for a better and kinder world – one without poverty and war. And be confident, God will take care of us all.

May the Risen Christ grant you peace and joy this Easter, and always!

 

PS: By the way, the Minister General never reprimanded me for talking to the Pope